Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are among the Indian states that have failed to name an ombudsman to handle grievances and prevent graft related to the central government’s flagship rural jobs programme, even two years after they were directed to do so. Only 15 of the nation’s 28 states have appointed the ombudsmen, according to the ministry of rural development. Assam, Haryana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu also haven’t appointed the watchdog. Setting up...

With skewed sex ratios it is difficult to find a local mate Decades of unchecked sex-selective abortions have made the once fertile States of Punjab and Haryana suffer a drought of brides, making human-trafficking a lucrative and expanding trade. Often projected as a voluntary marriage, every year, thousands of young women and girls are lured into the idea of a happy married life with a rich man in Punjab or Haryana....

-The Telegraph   A myth is being sold to the people of West Bengal by those who claim that the state will “move ahead of several” others if it is renamed, data available in the public domain and collated by The Telegraph have established. The statistics show that meetings that decide resource allocation by the Centre are not decided on the basis of an inflexible alphabetical order. Each state’s preparedness to make presentations...

-The Economic Times   Manipur's 'Iron Lady' Irom Sharmila Chanu, who has been on a fast for over 10 years in support of her demand for scrapping the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, on Tuesday extended her support to Anna Hazare's anti-graft mission. Sharmila has written a letter to Anna Hazare, expressing her solidarity with his movement. Sections had derided Hazare's hunger strike, comparing it with the Manipur Iron Lady's anti-AFSPA agitation,...

-The Telegraph   Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi today came out in support of movements against corruption, but said that the rule of law alone cannot check corruption even as the relay hunger strike by supporters of Anna Hazare entered its fifth day here. Admitting to corrupt practices in government offices, Gogoi said his government was taking action to check corruption, but the effort would be rendered futile if the public did not...